Week #7, June 29 2017

Steve sunk a tractor in the ground on Monday. Before plowing a wet bottom field, he attempted to set the plow to a shallower depth but accidentally set it deeper. He plowed a furrow that was too deep and got stuck. Steve came moping back to the house, worried that we would need help extracting the embedded tractor and plow. That’s expensive (if we hire a rig) or embarrassing (if we ask a neighbor for help). It’s difficult and risky when the tractor and implement are still hitched together. He didn’t sleep well at all that night. By morning, Steve and Roger had a plan that worked, using other tractors and a front-end loader. All was well but it was an unsettling moment for Steve. Beth

‘Caraflex’ cabbage – This is a nice salad-type that we grow in summer. Don’t you love the pointy shape? It has thinner, more tender leaves than the usual green cabbage. Great in salads and slaws but can also be cooked. Here’s the description from the seed catalogue: “Inner leaves are tender, crunchy, and have an excellent, sweet and mild cabbage flavor. Perfect for summer salads, slaws, or cooked dishes.”Swiss chard (pretty bundle of green leaves) – Our crew did a nice job mixing colors for pretty bunches. Swiss chard is a close relative of spinach, but requires a bit more cooking. Use as a substitute in any recipe that calls for spinach, just cook the chard a little longer. Both stems and leaves are delicious. The stems requite longer cooking, so cut them free from the leaves when preparing. That allows you to cook the stems longer.Parsley – This is the most versatile, widely-used herb that we grow. This week, I plan to make a tabouleh-style salad with snap peas, grilled zucchini, scallions and lots of parsley.Tipi tomato juice – We had this juice bottled from our tomatoes last summer. It’s a great way to capture ripe tomatoes at peak season, at a moment when we are swimming in tomatoes. Drink it or try making an easy soup. Simmer diced zucchini and Swiss chard in the juice. Add minced scallions and parsley near the end of cooking. Voila! Soup!Storage: Store the juice out of sunlight at room temperature when unopened. Refrigerate after opening. The juice is already seasoned so do not add salt if you cook with it.Ingredients: organic tomatoes from Tipi Produce, salt, organic garlic, organic onion, organic black pepper. I’ve posted the nutritional information here.

RECIPES FROM LAUREN

GRILLED CABBAGE, SNAP PEA & SCALLION SALADThere’s little I enjoy more than bringing home a huge tote of vegetables and tossing them on the grill for a simple but amazing dinner. This week’s creation involves grilling a lot of things not commonly thought of as grillable but you’ll have to trust me that grilled cabbage and snap peas are a real thing of beauty. If you don’t have a grill or equipment good enough to keep veggies from falling through the grates you could broil your vegetables on a sheet pan for 15-20 minutes until very well charred in places. That was my go to “grilling” technique before we purchased an awesome grill last summer. And still my technique when summer storms keep me inside. Lauren.

Takes 30 minutes
Serves 4-6 as a side to some hearty cut of meat also done on the grill or 2 as a main dish

Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil on a baking sheet. Add cabbage, snap peas and scallions. Drizzle with additional tablespoon of olive oil and then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Toss gently with your hands to coat veggies evenly with oil.

Get your grill ready. The hotter the better. Grill veggies directly over heat (one of these fancy grill pans or baskets that keeps the veggies from falling through might be helpful) flipping so both sides get blackened in spots. This takes about 5-6 minutes for the scallions and peas and closer to 10 minutes for the cabbage. A little char is a great thing, especially for the cabbage. If you are broiling, just keep them on the baking sheet and put them RIGHT under the broiler for 20 minutes, flipping the veggies after 10 minutes.

Remove veggies, allow to cool briefly. Add peas to a medium bowl. Slice cabbage and scallions thinly (as best you can) and add to the same bowl.

.ZUCCHINI & SWISS CHARD TART
Recipe adapted from New York TimesI make pie crust in my food processor following Smitten Kitchen’s basic guidelines for “all butter, really flaky pie dough” every single time I need a pie crust regardless of what the recipe calls for and I am NEVER disappointed. It’s simple, quick and incredibly flaky. Do note that this makes a double batch (aka two pie crusts) so either make half the Smitten Kitchen portion (which is a little more difficult in your food processor) or two tarts! Lauren.

Makes 1 tart
Serves 4-6
Takes 1 hour, 45 minutes (much of it inactive), a little longer if you make the dough from scratch

If making pie crust from scratch, do this first so it has time to chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large saute pan, add olive oil, scallions and chard stems. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook over medium heat for five minutes until fragrant. Add zucchini and chard leaves, stir often for 10 minutes. Zucchini should be tender but still bright green and greens should be wilted. Add parsley, cook about 1 minute longer just to combine flavors. Remove from heat and set aside.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in remaining salt and pepper. Add zucchini chard mixture and cheese. Mix everything together and then add remaining pepper.

If making your own pie crust, roll it out into a circle and line a 9 or 9.5-inch pie pan. †If not, just grab your store-bought crust. Fill pie crust with zucchini chard mixture. Bake for 50 minutes or until center is set and top is golden brown. Allow to set for 15 minutes before serving. It’s fine to serve this warm or at room temperature.

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We love Tipi Produce! Now my kids ask me before eating their veggies, ‘Is it from the farm?’ My oldest (age 8) says veggies are always better from the farm.

I am very impressed with the variety, and surprised at a few veggies I hadn’t tried before (leeks – I didn’t know that I loved them!). The newsletters help us figure out what to do with some of the veggies outside of our ‘comfort zone.’ It’s been a great experience for our whole family.